CLINTON'S MISSION
Clinton's mission
OMAGH VISIT: Presidential presence is appropriate
WHILE it is understandable that some Omagh people now want to grieve alone, there will be a general welcome for next week's visit by President Clinton. He needed to know that local people wanted him to come, during his brief stop-over in Northern Ireland, and the response has been very positive.
There are many reasons why Mr Clinton's visit to Omagh is specially appropriate. It will remind a forgetful world about the greatest tragedy in the whole history of the troubles. It will focus attention on the aftermath of terrorism - the heartache of the bereaved, the pain and suffering of the injured and their families and the economic damage inflicted on the town. It will enable him to articulate the feelings which most people on the planet have about the bombers. And it will be a personal journey to a part of Ulster near to his own family roots.
The President's second visit to Ireland will not excite the uncritical interest which accompanied his first, nearly three years ago. Then, he was in his presidential prime, beginning to use his power and his remarkable communication skills to play a key part in the peace process. People looked to him for leadership and it seemed, then, he appealed to unionists and nationalists in equal measure.
Now he comes in the wake of his admission that he lied to his country and his family over the Monica Lewinsky affair, letting everyone down. His moral authority has been damaged, and he has yet to prove that his action last week, ordering missile attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan, was a justifiable response to the bombing of American embassies in east Africa. When he talks about peace, and the need for terrorism to be redirected into politics, his listeners are entitled to be sceptical.
Yet, whatever his shortcomings, he is recognised as a president who has delivered jobs and prosperity at home, and has provided invaluable aid to Northern Ireland's peace process. When people turn out to cheer next week, they will be honouring the office of the presidency, which he has used so profitably, as much as the man himself.
His Visit has three major objectives, all of them vital to the province's future. Firstly, it will help to underpin the peace process, emphasising that, despite a bad summer, people and politicians must concentrate on the political way forward. Secondly, it will highlight the problems of the victims, bringing politicians and churchmen together in a united front against sectarianism and terror. Thirdly it will focus attention on the need for economic, as well as political, recovery. A fresh initiative by Mr Clinton would be the best legacy he could leave.
Once again, the world will be looking in on Northern Ireland, watching every move of Bill and Hillary Clinton, for body language, as much as the set-pieces in Belfast and Omagh. Mr Clinton can show that he is rebuilding his family relationships and Northern Ireland can demonstrate how it is moving towards a future free from violence and strife.
OMAGH VISIT: Presidential presence is appropriate
WHILE it is understandable that some Omagh people now want to grieve alone, there will be a general welcome for next week's visit by President Clinton. He needed to know that local people wanted him to come, during his brief stop-over in Northern Ireland, and the response has been very positive.
There are many reasons why Mr Clinton's visit to Omagh is specially appropriate. It will remind a forgetful world about the greatest tragedy in the whole history of the troubles. It will focus attention on the aftermath of terrorism - the heartache of the bereaved, the pain and suffering of the injured and their families and the economic damage inflicted on the town. It will enable him to articulate the feelings which most people on the planet have about the bombers. And it will be a personal journey to a part of Ulster near to his own family roots.
The President's second visit to Ireland will not excite the uncritical interest which accompanied his first, nearly three years ago. Then, he was in his presidential prime, beginning to use his power and his remarkable communication skills to play a key part in the peace process. People looked to him for leadership and it seemed, then, he appealed to unionists and nationalists in equal measure.
Now he comes in the wake of his admission that he lied to his country and his family over the Monica Lewinsky affair, letting everyone down. His moral authority has been damaged, and he has yet to prove that his action last week, ordering missile attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan, was a justifiable response to the bombing of American embassies in east Africa. When he talks about peace, and the need for terrorism to be redirected into politics, his listeners are entitled to be sceptical.
Yet, whatever his shortcomings, he is recognised as a president who has delivered jobs and prosperity at home, and has provided invaluable aid to Northern Ireland's peace process. When people turn out to cheer next week, they will be honouring the office of the presidency, which he has used so profitably, as much as the man himself.
His Visit has three major objectives, all of them vital to the province's future. Firstly, it will help to underpin the peace process, emphasising that, despite a bad summer, people and politicians must concentrate on the political way forward. Secondly, it will highlight the problems of the victims, bringing politicians and churchmen together in a united front against sectarianism and terror. Thirdly it will focus attention on the need for economic, as well as political, recovery. A fresh initiative by Mr Clinton would be the best legacy he could leave.
Once again, the world will be looking in on Northern Ireland, watching every move of Bill and Hillary Clinton, for body language, as much as the set-pieces in Belfast and Omagh. Mr Clinton can show that he is rebuilding his family relationships and Northern Ireland can demonstrate how it is moving towards a future free from violence and strife.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0294
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
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